Vehicle-to-vehicle charging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022285971-A1
Application number	US-202217669960-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 11, 2022
Priority date	Mar 5, 2021
Publication date	Sep 8, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method can comprise determining, by a first controller comprising a processor, of a first vehicle, a first voltage rating of a first battery of the first vehicle and a state of charge of the first battery. In various embodiments, the method can further comprise determining, by the first controller, based on an output of a second controller of a second vehicle, a second voltage rating of a second battery of the second vehicle and a state of charge of the second battery. In further embodiments, the method can further comprise in response to a determination, by the first controller, that the first voltage rating matches the second voltage rating, transferring, by the first controller, power from the first battery to the second battery, wherein the state of charge of the first battery is greater than the state of charge of the second battery.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system, comprising:
a first vehicle comprising a first battery, a first controller, an inverter, and an electric motor; and a second vehicle comprising a second battery and a second controller, wherein the electric motor and the inverter convert an output voltage of the first battery to a voltage rating of the second battery, and wherein the first vehicle charges the second battery at the output voltage.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a nominal voltage of the first battery is higher than a nominal voltage of the second battery.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first controller controls the electric motor and the inverter to convert the output voltage of the first battery to the voltage rating of the second battery based on data transmitted between the first controller and the second controller, indicative of a voltage rating of the first battery, the voltage rating of the second battery, a state of charge of the first battery, and a state of charge of the second battery.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the inverter operates in a buck mode comprising step down direct current to direct current conversion of a voltage of the first battery to the output voltage of the first battery.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a voltage rating of the first battery is higher than the voltage rating of the second battery.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first battery comprises a first state of charge greater than a second state of charge of the second battery.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the inverter comprises at least six semi-conductor switches.

8 . A vehicle-to-vehicle power transfer system, comprising:
a first vehicle comprising a first battery, a first controller, an inverter, and an electric motor; and a second vehicle comprising a second battery and a second controller, wherein the electric motor and the inverter convert an output voltage of the second battery to a voltage rating of the first battery, and wherein the second vehicle charges the first battery at the output voltage.

9 . The vehicle-to-vehicle power transfer system of claim 8 , wherein a nominal voltage of the first battery is higher than a nominal voltage of the second battery.

10 . The vehicle-to-vehicle power transfer system of claim 8 , wherein the first controller controls the electric motor and the inverter to convert the output voltage of the second battery to the voltage rating of the first battery based on a data transmitted between the first controller and the second controller, indicative of the voltage rating of the first battery, a voltage rating of the second battery, a state of charge of the first battery, and a state of charge of the second battery.

11 . The vehicle-to-vehicle power transfer system of claim 8 , wherein the inverter operates in a boost mode comprising step up direct current to direct current conversion of a voltage of the second battery to a voltage rating of the first battery.

12 . The vehicle-to-vehicle power transfer system of claim 8 , wherein a voltage rating of the first battery is higher than the voltage rating of the second battery.

13 . The vehicle-to-vehicle power transfer system of claim 8 , wherein the first battery comprises a first state of charge lesser than a second state of charge of the second battery.

14 . The vehicle-to-vehicle power transfer system of claim 8 , wherein the inverter comprises at least six semi-conductor switches.

15 . A method, comprising:
determining, by a first controller comprising a processor, of a first vehicle, a first voltage rating of a first battery of the first vehicle and a state of charge of the first battery; determining, by the first controller, based on an output of a second controller of a second vehicle, a second voltage rating of a second battery of the second vehicle and a state of charge of the second battery; and in response to a determination, by the first controller, that the first voltage rating matches the second voltage rating, transferring, by the first controller, power from the first battery to the second battery, wherein the state of charge of the first battery is greater than the state of charge of the second battery.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first voltage rating and the second voltage rating comprise 800 volts.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first voltage rating and the second voltage rating comprise 400 volts.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein an inverter of the first vehicle operates in a buck mode comprising step down direct current to direct current conversion of a voltage of the first battery to a voltage of the second battery.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein an inverter of the second vehicle operates in a boost mode comprising step up direct current to direct current conversion of a voltage of the first battery to a voltage of the second battery.

20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first battery comprises a first nominal voltage lower than a second nominal voltage of the second battery.

Assignees

• Volvo Car Corp

Inventors

• Gannamaneni Narendar Rao
• Sjöstedt Lars Johan Henrik
• Golriz Arsam
• Smith Niklas

Classifications

• H02M7/5387

  in a bridge configuration · CPC title

• H02J7/342 Primary

  The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging (with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/68) · CPC title

• B60L53/14 Primary

  Conductive energy transfer · CPC title

• Y02T10/7072

  Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors · CPC title

• Y02T10/70

  Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries · CPC title